National Republican., 1887-03-04
BELIEVED AN ACCIDENT.
Tho Mysterious Shooting Of John o.
Smith in New York.

Last evening the following dispatch was
received in this city from New York:
John Condlt Smith, fashionably dressed
this morning while walking down Madison
avenue, near Twenty-third street. A tall man
slsPPssa 9 front q him And sent bullet
Gus wound. NJ fter the firing the stranger made
bis escape. The wounded man was at once
removed TO- the New York Hospital, where he
stated that his relatives lived In Washington
and that he was boarding at present at No. All
Clermond avenue, Brooklyn. He said that
SOME days ago ho received an anonymous let
ter from some person In Washington, which
contained threat that the writer would shoot
him. From the inquiries made at the address
given IN Brooklyn, 1t was CLEANED that young
Smith had been boarding there since last
october, and that he was quiet and gentle
manly youth, with no enemies that were
known Of. Nothing had ever been heard there
ofsmith receiving a threatening. letter. The
The landlady Of tho boarding house, Mrs.
Calkins, and her son, who is a class mate OF
In Brooklyn, were notified of the shooting at
3o'clock this morning by n policeman of the
fourth precinct station on Vanderbilt avenue.
Immediately. ety. " Il wi was % fnrtheT learned % that
Smith came home from college yesterday
afternoon at 8o'clock, changed his clothes, and
was going TO meet some friends but would re-
turn home at IL p. IN. His failure to return Mt
the appointed hour alarmed his friends in
Brooklyn. smith had been in the habit Of
ton, where his mother and stepfather reside.
In seeking information as to the person
shot IL was learned that young Smith Is o son
Of the late Gen. John Condit Smith, OF Terry
Hills, N. j. His father was chief quarter
master general under Gen. Sherman from
the beginning OF the war until the opening
| OF the Atlanta campaign. He was then
| promoted to the position Of chief engineer
| OF the military railroads, and was located at
| Savannah. Subsequently Gen. Smith mar
| ried sister of the wife OF Associate Justice
Stephen j. Field. One year after the mar
riage the general died, leaving several sons
and daughters, who are now living in this
city with their stepmother at No. % First
| street northeast.
| Last night Associate Justice Field was
seen at he residence, 81 First street south.
east. and he stated that he had received O
dispatch from New York giving some par
ticulars OF the shooting. The wound was
not dangerous one, being inflicted In the
left shoulder What could have led to the
shooting be was unable to state. He and
| Mrs. Field believed IL to be an accident.
The young man did not live here, but he
came on a visit to his stepmother and
relatives last Christmas and remained
through the holidays. He was very quiet
and gentlemanly, and not person to make
enemies. Justice Field said that he did
not know Of any one In this city evei
threatening the young man, and had nc
suspicions that would point to any on,
living here. He knew but little about tht
shooting, and did not believe that 1t wa
due to any enc my of the young man as ht
could not understand how he could hav,
one, knowing as he did his gentlemauly
qualities. To-day he expects to receive full
particulars Of the affair.
Justice Field showed reporter of tn,
REPUBLICAN photograph Of young
Smith, and It presented a handsome face
strongly marked with intellectual lines
and one that would fully support the esti
mate Justice Field placed on him. Mrs
Smith, the stepmother, is much overcome
at the news Of the shooting, and last night
she was unable to be seen.